The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1887-01-05
PINK BOOTS.
i ~to:; al Interest ~ III" ::'">e q! T"::.-
.rcrHncr.

! iIituS tN1''>S ".AS'' ~
tirely lost Lis senses, 50 ne wondered
what they found so Interesting.
.Wha.a-ar-yer-ye- lookin a-att:
We'll. old fellow. answered Billy
Dorr. were looking ;or 4 beauty &
come out Of that doc" over there.
J "a beau-tic?"
! "YeS. a beauty; but so on, there is
no use O lingering TO see Pink Boots
your old, red eyes cant see hall across
! he street.
But tie rude boy was mistaken: TIC
red eyes were not quite so blood-shot as
Usual. I'd they were looking with as
much interest as the Younger eyes i:
| Pink Boots, who just then opened the
door of the store opposite them and
came ont. Pink Boots was beautiful
girl OF ten years, and her hands full OF
! tlowers-roses, FL es and carnations. She
walked Il half licZe. or 'aore steps down
the walk. and was jL@. stepping into a
handsome carriage when another little
girl came in sight For = brief moment
the two children stood III strong cen
astt-Tlorence Burr, with glowing, hap
py lace, and Celia Hunt. with hec pale:
! distressed one. Florence was dressed III
an elaboatcly embroidered pink cash
mere and her feet were encased II beau-
tiful pink kid buttoned boots-for Flor
ence was going 10 a tea party. She
wore also a broad-brimmed nat with
noddine pink plumes AS for Celia, she
wore an old faded dress, so shabby that
it revealed her bruised ankles, whlc!!
were bare hike her feet. An old veil
tied about her pinched face did duty as
head protector, but no wrap covered her
thin shoulders, although one WIS much
needed this chilly day.
The carriage drove away with Flor
ence, and Celia stood gazing a:ter 1t. o.
course the drunken man saw the poor
child. so did the DC. -. Ihc latter
laughed, and Billy Dorr said: Il tell
YOU it pays better to sell liquor than It
does to drink it. What's your opinion,
Daddy Hunt"
Daddy Hunt did not answer: he
stood stupidity gazing at his barclooted,
weary-faced child.
q say, old fellow, did you buy Celia $
fall outfit at the same store that INK
Boots father bought hers:
''Shut up, now, will YOU? II You
don't, Ill knock the breath out OF it. .
The druukard spoke savagcly and
raised his hand to eNecutc his tarcat,
when suddenly little arm to;ic! his,
and voice said coaxingly: Conc,
f;:thcr.
Tie man suffered himself to DC led
away from the h.artless group; cruoi
Billy singing after them: 20 iatLc;:,
dear father, come home.
1t was long walk to the dlunNard 5
home. Before lie reached it, he was
sober. Cecilia, lie sud, wouldn't yo'
like some pink boots? .
"No, father, would not want them.
':Why not:"
"They wouldn't correspond with my
rags, the child said bitterly; and !.
wouldn't wear Florence Burrs pink
boots if had silk dresses to wear with
thela," she added saragely.
Again her fatEcr questioned: 'NbT
not:"
ssBecause they were bought with
money that ought to have bought bread
and meat for poor starving children and
their crying mothers.
:sWho told you so?'
Nobody told me, found out for
myself.
"You're strange child. Celia. .
Yes, perhaps l am, but | love YOU
father
And Celia put her cold hand within
her fathers.
81 don't know how YOU can, he said,
chokingly.
It guess it's because you're my faith
er," was the innocent answer.
AS father and daughter entered the
house, the mother arose, put the sleep
ing babe in its wretched cradle and said:
''Come to supper.
Such supper for family Of six:
Only a part of stale loaf OF bread and
some weak tea. The patient weary wife
would not have been surprised at hcI
husband had he thrown the bread across
the room at the wall and hurled the tea
pot afte, it, cursing her at tie same tine,
, rs he had done often before, but Size was
surprised when he rose from the table
just after seating himself-and said hus-
ki!y, ''Eat this miserable stuff if YOU can,
poor things. l must be gone.
He started for the door weak and faint.
but determined. His wife followed him,
beseeching, 'Oh, don't go out again to-
night, Fred, don't; the baby is sick,
and
She said no more for with the words
1.-The little fellow is sick, is le?' the
father went back to the cradle, stopped
and kissed his infant child for the first
time, and arose with tears Glisteningupon
his eyelashes.
.:l'n not going out to drink. Mary.
! Do not be wor,, ed III be back by nine
O'Clock, ana i: the child should set
worse, Celia rill find NE ct Sergeant
Wrisht's.' IS
"What do you suppose ii all means,
mother?" asked Celia, rs soon as the
father WAS gone.
Il don't know, child : but perhaps il
means there is blessing coming OH Us
all. Pray to God that It may be so. .
''1Iother," said Celia, ''father asked
ME this afternoon if L wanted pink boots,
What do you think Of that
! ''It was :, strange question, enid. ID
be thankful if he'd save enough TO buy
YOU some black ones. Your feet arc biu>
/ with cold
At nine o'clock d face pccpcd t}lro"s!
tx little c;;rtainlcSs window OF the KIT.
chen. The eyes saw Il dcsolatc pict6rc
1t was this !: L bare cold-looking rooT ; /;
haggarl woman bending orera sick babe
!. little sad-faced girl fallen asleep on thl
hard hoor while brarely waiting fol